25th May 2019 - Andrew

Some specific locations:

  • The angora with tiny shops, benches to sit on and an open market place
  • Rich merchant’s houses with central open courtyards and marble columns surrounded by living spaces and bedrooms. One of these was owned by a Cleopatra who dedicated statues of herself and her husband - the text is still easily readable (if you can read Greek)
  • The house of the Trident with it’s attached shop has a window to display goods to passers by.
  • A huge amphitheatre able to seat 3000 people. The front two rows have shaped curved back seats for the privileged (this amphitheatre also doubles as a rain catchment device)
  • Cistern built into the ground to store rainwater for the city.

All this from a time when the city housed 30 000 people despite little fresh water and it’s nearly barren soil. It’s central location made it a great trading port and merchant city. Then we move to the older part of the city to a time when religion dominated the culture. In legend Apollo and Artemis were born here at the sacred lake from the union of Zeus and Leto.

In this area the Greek city states built large temples to Apollo to show their status and wealth. The great temple of Apollo has benches (that look just like a modern picnic table) for ancient peoples who often had to queue for hours before entering the sanctuary. One of the main temples is the oldest known structure (800BC) with marble beams atop columns. That beam has a clear inscription dedicating the temple to Apollo from a famous Macedonian king.

25th May 2019 - Cara

Legend has it that Hera was angry with Leto so no-one would give her a place to give birth. She eventually came to Delos which has no water or natural resources and said that if she could give birth here it would become great as a trading port. The more mundane reason is that it is in the center of the Cyclades so a good place to stop.

Sixteen lions guarded the sacred lakes. Greeks had never seen lions but had heard about them and they were fearsome mythical creatures to them. Later French archaeologists had to drain the lake to prevent malaria but they planted a palm tree to mark the spot. The palm is sacred to Leto as she gave birth under one.

There was an enormous statue to Apollo which various people wrote about but a stupid King built a palm tree statue next to it which later collapsed on it and broke it. Looters carried most bits away.

Roofs of houses were wood which is why they now have no roofs. Also no second story as the higher parts of buildings were perishable.

There is a monument to Isis on the hillside. This was a sacred island to many different people and they all felt the need to make their stamp, build their own monument to Apollo or something similar.

earlier